Rota Romântica: From Porto Alegre to Gramado

The Rota Romântica (“Romantic Route”) is popular among drivers heading to the Serra Gaúcha, to visit Gramado and Canela from Porto Alegre. It sits between the Vale dos Sinos plains and the Serra Gaúcha plateau (RS), 40 km from Porto Alegre.

The route spans 350 km in total, but from Porto Alegre to Gramado, it’s around 135 km. It runs along BR-116, RS-235, VRS-873, and the road to Linha Nova, offering several route options for sightseeing along the way.

The route is paved, but has plenty of curves, and there’s a toll at the entrance to Gramado, charged in both directions — if you pass through more than three times entering and exiting, the fourth pass is free.

The itinerary is irresistible, highlighting the preserved German culture inherited from immigrants. You’ll notice it in the traditional festivals, gardens, colonial-style cafés, delicious food, folk groups, and of course, a nice cold draft beer to go with it all.

The Rota Romântica passes through 14 municipalities, offering the infrastructure to host not just discerning visitors seeking refined cuisine and luxury hotels, but also travelers looking for lodging surrounded by nature and a taste of colonial cooking.

Best Time of Year for the Rota Romântica

Since this is a slow travel itinerary, meant for savoring the journey and the scenery, the best time to go is at the peak of fall, when the leaves turn golden and form tunnels of sycamores, making the road’s curves genuinely charming. Spring and early summer are also great times to catch the region’s signature flowers, like hydrangeas.

Winter brings beautiful green foliage, without as many flowers or the golden hues, but it still doesn’t lose its charm!

Rota Romântica vegetation

German Culture

The towns along this route carry roots in both German and Italian culture, since they were settled by German immigrants during the first half of the 19th century. German settlers arrived in Rio Grande do Sul first and settled in the lower parts of the Serra Gaúcha, close to rivers. Italian immigrants arrived in the state later, between around 1875 and 1914, roughly 100,000 of them.

Since the lower areas were already occupied by German settlers — in towns like Ivoti, Novo Hamburgo, Morro Reuter, and Nova Petrópolis — Italian settlement happened in the higher areas. That’s how Italian immigrants settled towns like Caxias do Sul, Bento Gonçalves, Farroupilha, and Flores da Cunha.

Building in Nova Petrópolis

Careful Not to Take the Wrong Route

There’s a more commonly used route from Porto Alegre to Gramado that leaves BR-116 after Novo Hamburgo, turning right onto RS-239. Follow the signs toward Gramado, and it eventually meets RS-115.

This route passes through the town of Três Coroas, but we wouldn’t recommend it, since the road is unpaved. If anything goes wrong, it’s basically impossible to get cell signal, especially at night. Google Maps suggested this route to us, but we don’t recommend it. The upside is that the road is shorter and more direct, but we don’t think it’s worth the risk, especially in the rain.

Rota Romântica

What to See Along the Rota Romântica

As we mentioned, the route runs through 14 municipalities, and here are our tips:

São Leopoldo — the starting point of the Rota Romântica, home to a tourist information center with brochures and pamphlets detailing each town.
Novo Hamburgo — Santuário das Mães, a chapel with a beautiful view.
Ivoti — Núcleo de Casas Enxaimel (homes built by some of the region’s first German settlers) and Cachaçaria Weber Haus, one of the region’s most famous cachaça makers, certified organic.
Dois Irmãos — a lookout marked by a roadside sign.
Morro do Reuter — a lookout point and Atelier Flávio Scholles.
Picada Café — Parque Histórico Jorge Kuhn and Morro do Vento (a hill for paragliding).
Nova Petrópolis — a green labyrinth in the Praça das Flores, 2 meters tall, the Aldeia dos Imigrantes, and Restaurante Armazém Mazlawik.
Gramado and Canela — we’ll leave you to read more about these on our blog, which is full of great tips for both towns.

Rota Romântica starting point

We found the trip absolutely beautiful, and we hope you enjoy it too!